'Five Modifications of Mind'

Yesterday, Patanjali finished with the third sutra.

tada drastuh sva-rupe vasthanam

The sutra is translated as, ‘When withdrawal from mental patterns happens, you establish in your own nature.’ In other words, when you take responsibility for your mind, (remember that your thinking is an action) suddenly you will be able to operate when you want and stop when you want. Having this freedom, experiencing that liberation is what Patanjali defines as sva-rupe vasthanam – establishing in your own nature.

What is our true nature? Let us define what ‘nature’ means. Patanjali says that nature means the state where there are no thoughts. When the chitta vritti nirodaha happens, that is our state, our nature.

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'The Mind is an Action'

Before we enter into the Yoga Sutra this evening, into the second sutra, let us take a few moments to respect the great master who is responsible for this book; Patanjali.

You can enter into the reading of this Yoga Sutra in many ways. You can enter as a casual reader, you can enter as an intellectual, or you can enter with deep devotion and surrender. If you enter with deep devotion and surrender, every sutra will become a ‘click’ in you. I have seen in my life, how if you approach these great aphorisms with that deep devotion and respect, suddenly every sutra, every word ‘clicks’! You know that what you are reading is the truth, that it is a new experience and something that you will live.

The second sutra says:

yogah citta-vrtti-nirodah

The translation is, ‘Withdrawal from mental thought patterns is yoga’.

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'Now, The Experience of Yoga'

Yoga Articles

When I first started the mission over five years ago, the early disciples used to ask me to choose and comment on just three books that will give the complete essence of all the spiritual knowledge in all the spiritual traditions.

I chose three books:

  1. The Shiva Sutra
  2. The Bhagavad Gita and
  3. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
Read more: 'Now, The Experience of Yoga'